Apparatus for producing blades

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A BLADE FROM A BLADE BLANK WHICH IN A TRANSITION REGION JOINING A BASE PORTION AND AN AIRFOIL SECTION THEREOF HAS A CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA WHICH GRADUALLY INCREASED FROM THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID AIRFOIL SECTION TO THAT OF SAID BASE PORTION, COMPRISING A PAIR OF DIES, SAID DIES INCLUDING ARCUATE SURFACES FOR ROLL-FORMING SAID AIRFOIL SECTION, SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SAID DIES FOR MOVEMENT OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID DIES BODILY TOWARD THE OTHER OF SAID DIES FROM AN INITIAL POSITION IN WHICH SAID BLADE BLANK IS DISPOSED BETWEEN THEM TO A FINAL METAL-FORMING POSITION WITH PROGRESSIVE DECREASE IN THE SEPARATION DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID DIES, MEANS FOR APPLYING AN ACTUATING FORCE TO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS FOR MOVING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID DIES TOWARD THE OTHER FOR DEVELOPING METAL-PINCHING SHAPING FORCES ON SAID TRANSITION REGION AND FOR CONCURRENTLY APPLYING A COMPRESSIVE FORCE TO THE BASE PORTION OF THE BLADE BLANK URGING THE BLADE BLANK TOWARD AND AGAINST SAID DIES FOR SHAPING SAID TRANSITION REGION BY THE COMBINED ACTION OF SAID COMPRESSIVE AND PINCHING FORCES APPLIED TO SAID TRANSITION REGION, AND MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID DIES FOR SAID ROLL-FORMING OF SAID SECTION EFFECTIVE AFTER REVERSAL OF SAID COMPRESSIVE FORCE APPLIED TO SAID BASE TO PLACE SAID AIRFOIL SECTION UNDER TENSION WHEREBY SAID ROLL-FORMING IS ACCOMPLISHED WITH SAID AIRFOIL SECTION UNDER TENSION.